Boat-propelling pole



A. N. OLSEN:

son PROPELLING POLE., LICATION FILED F 1,383,559. I PatentedJu1y5,1921.

UNITED STATES rAreNT OFFICE.

ALFRED N. OLSEN, OF ROCK RAPIDS, IOWA, ASSIGN OR' OF DEE-HALF TO SAMUEL D.

RIN'IKER, OF ROCK 'BAPIDS, IOWA.

BOAT-PROPELLING POLE.

T all whom it may concern Y Be it known that I, ALFRED N. OLSEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rock Rapids, in the county of Lyon and State of Iowa, 1 have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Boat-Propelling Poles ,of which the following is a speci- V fication.

The primary object of this invention is to provide means for propelling a boat through shallow water which, when in use, will obtain afirm footing against the muddy bottom so that a forward impulse may be imparted to the boat and which may be readily withdrawn from the mud. without sticking therein. A further object of the invention is to provide a device for the stated purpose which may be stored within a small compass when not in use and which, when desired, may be employed as an ordinary paddle or oar. These stated objects and such other objects as will incidentally appear in the course of the following descrip tion are attained in such a device as is illustrated inthe accompanying drawings and the invention resides in certain novel features which will be particularly pointed out in the claims following the description.

In the drawings 7 Figure 1 is an elevation of an implement embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged elevation of one end of the implementshowing the working position of the mud-engaging member in full lines and showing by dotted lines the position assumed when the member is being withdrawn from the mud;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged bottom plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged longitudinal section showing the joint employed in the sec tional handle.

In carrying out my invention, I employ a handle or pole consisting of similar sections 1 which may be provided in any desired number, three being shown in the accompanying drawings. One of these handle sections is provided with a paddle or oar blade 2, while the intermediate section is merely a coupling section for connecting the end sections, the end section remote from that carrying the blade 2 being equipped with a mud-engaging foot or presser plate 8. The sections of the handle or pole are detachably connected by the arrangement illus- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 5, 1921.

7 Application filed February 12, 1921. Serial No. 444,506.

trated more particularly in Fig. 4C. Secured to the end of one section is a coupling tube or sleeve 4: having annular spiral corrugations or threads 5 throughout its length from a point immediately adjacent the end of the section to the open end of the coupling sleeve. To the meeting end of the adjacent section, I securea mating coupling sleeve 6 which is of less diameter than the firstrnentioned coupling sleeve at so that it may fit within the said sleeve and this second coupling sleeve is provided with external beads or corrugations or threads 7 which are adapted to engage the corrugations beads, or threads of the outer sleeve. It will be readily understood that the two handle sections may thus be easily connected when the device is to be used and may be as easily separated when it is desired to store or transport the device. The inner coupling sleeve 6 may be filled by the reduced end of the handle section to which it is secured or it may be otherwise reinforced against collapse so that lateral pressure exerted upon the handle at the joint will not bend or otherwise damage the same.

' The pusher plate "or-foot 3 is preferably a substantial disk of metal to one side of which is secured a hinge .leaf or plate 8 which hinge leaf or plate projects beyond the edge of the disk and has its projecting end formed into hinge eyes 9 which mate with the hinge eyes 10 at the end of a hinge leaf or member 11- which is carried by the adjacent handle section 1, a pintle 12 being inserted through the several hinge eyes so that the plate will be connected with the hinge, as shown. The hinge leaf 11 is preferably secured to a carrying plate 13 which in turn is secured rigidly to the adjacent handle section and has its free end formed into a hook 14: which partly encircles the hinge and has its extremity 15 arranged in the path of movement of the pusher plate or foot 3 so that the swinging movement of the plate will be limited, as will be readily understood upon reference to the dotted lines in Fig. 2. To the adjacent handle section 1, diametrically opposite the plate 13 and the hinge leaf 11, I secure a stop plate or. tongue 16 which projects beyond the end of they handle section and is adapted at its free end to abut the foot or presser plate 3, as shown in Fig. 1 and by the full lines in Fig. 2.

effect propulsion of the boat.

of the pole, a pull is exerted thereon and the plate will readily leave the water if the bottom with-which it is in contact happens.

to be moderatelyfirm. If, however, the bottom is soft so that the presser plate or foot tends to become embedded therein the-sucis not necessary and it may be desirable or convenient to maintaln the several SQCUODS tion or hold of the mud upon "the plate will cause it to swing to the position shown in dotted lines in F 2 and present its edge to the line of movenient'ojf the pole so that the continued pull upon the pole will then easilyjwithdraw theplate or foot from the bottom. The edge or shoulder 15 presented to the plate 13 limitsthe movement of the foot or presser plate away from thejstop bar 16" so'that the foot cannot easily become detachedandlost and the said stop bar 16 by its abutting engagement with the plate or foot effectually prevents the foot folding against the end of the handle and holdsit in such position that its entire area willbe presented to the water bottom and a sufiiciently firm footing obtained to effectmove ment of the boat by the pressure exerted upon the pole. The device may be made in any desired size and may be readily disjointed and stored in a small space when not in use. of'course the paddle or oar may be removedwhen the device is to be used as a push pole and the section carrying the presser plate or foot may be removed when the device is to'be used as an oar or a paddle, but such separation of the'parts V 1 of the, handle in coupled relation; Iprefer to locate one joint close'to, the paddle or blade so that, with the blade removed, a long pole for pushing will beavailable,

The device is especially convenient for canoeists, hunters, or other persons using boatsior canoes in very shallow water. In

navigating in very shallow water, it is frequently impossible to use the oar or paddle successfully and recourse is had to a pole for the purpose of pushing theboat off the muddy bottom and until deeper water is reached. /Yith an ordinary pole the end of the pole frequently becomes'so embedded in the mud that the effort to extract the pole neutralizes the progress which was made in propelling the boat, and when the bottom is very soft it is frequently impossibl'eto find a sufficiently firm footing for the poleto obtain any benefit from the efforts to propel the boat. All these disadvantages are overcome by the'u'se ofmy device which is obviouslysimplein construction and may be produced at a very low cost.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new'i sz" p 1'. A device for the purpose set forth com prising a pole, a plate secured to and projecting from the end of the pole, a foot hinged to said plate, said plate being provided with a' stop outwardly beyond the hinged connection of the footto the-plate to limit the movement of the foot away from the pole, and'an abutment projecting from the end of the pole andspaced from the plate to be engaged by the footand limit the movement thereoftoward the'pole.

2. A device for the purpose set forth comprising a pole, a carrying'member secured to and projecting from the end'of the pole,

a foot hinged to said carrying member, the

end of said carrying member partly encircling the hinged-connection of the foot and presenting a stoprthereto to limit the movement of the same awayfrom the pole, V

a-ndan abutment bar secured to the'pole at a point remote from the carrying'plate and projecting beyond the end of the pole to be engaged by the foot and "limit the movement of the same toward'the'pole; r

- In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

ALFRED o s N; a s1 

